JOLIET, ILLINOIS – Representatives of the Joint Utility Locating Information for Excavators (JULIE, Inc.) are stressing the importance of underground damage prevention awareness to farmers in Illinois.  The campaign will kick-off during National Agriculture Week (March 16-22, 2003).

“National Agriculture Week is an excellent time to salute our dedicated farmers and promote American agriculture,” said Mark Frost, executive director of JULIE, Inc.  “During this time, it is also important to remind farmers to be aware of critical underground utility facilities, such as rural water, fiber optic, pipeline and high-pressure gas distribution systems, on their property.”

Utilities can be buried at various depths beneath farm fields.  While the Illinois Underground Utility Facilities Damage Prevention Act does not require a call to JULIE for routine farm tillage operations, there are farm-related projects that do require notification.  Tile plowing, building waterways and setting posts are all examples of deeper excavation projects requiring a call to JULIE at 1-800-892-0123.  Both the call to JULIE and service provided by members to locate and mark underground facilities are free to the excavator.

“Projects such as deep ripping and sub-soiling can create safety hazards due to the depth of the operations,” Frost continued.  “Whether you are a farmer, homeowner or professional excavator, digging without knowing where it is safe to dig can cause tremendous property and environmental damage and loss of lives.  The first step is to call JULIE at 1-800-892-0123.”

JULIE serves as a message handling service for underground facility owners and operators, taking information about planned excavations and distributing this information to its membership.  It is then the responsibility of each member to mark the location of their underground facilities at the excavation site.  Illinois law requires all persons digging to call JULIE at least two working days prior to the start of excavation and to begin that project within 14 calendar days from the call.  The 48 hour notice does not include Saturdays, Sundays or holidays.

National Agriculture Day will celebrate 30 years, on March 21, 2003 with producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies and countless others across America gathering to celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture on this first day of spring.

Established in 1974, JULIE currently represents over 1,600 member companies in Illinois.  For more information, please visit www.julie1call.com.